FAQ
Since I’m often asked the same questions about me and this blog, I thought I would compile a list of the most frequently asked questions here.
1) Why did you start this blog? I first started this blog back in 2008 to share family recipes. My sister had just passed away suddenly and making family recipes is what made me feel closer to my family thousands of miles away. I don’t think anyone besides my family followed my blog for the first couple of years.
2) How do you stay fit? I’ve recently loved going to OrangeTheory. I’ve also slowly learned that I don’t have to eat the whole batch of cookies by myself. I’m not saying that I don’t fall of the deep end into bowl of cookie dough sometimes, but I’ve gotten better over time.
3) How do you have time to blog with 5 kids? I love cooking and baking. We all find time for things we love. My kids are always in the kitchen with me helping and are quite the cooks themselves. As this blog has grown it does take more time than I like to admit to make, post recipes, and answer emails and comments. I’ve always had the philosophy that my family comes first. I don’t blog during the day while they’re home. They’re my priority and always will be. I’m a mom first. Cooking is just the frosting on top of it all. I blog after they’ve gone to bed which is why a majority of my posts are in the late hours of the night.
4) What camera and lens do you use? Until February 2013 I used a Canon Rebel XTi with a 50/1.4mm lens. Then, my husband bought me the Canon 5D Mark III. My 50/1.4mm lens is still my favorite.
5) Can you give me some tips on how to photograph food? I would hardly call myself an expert here. I still have some of my early pictures on this blog and they are cringe worthy. I would say the key is to use natural light. Lighting is everything. Sometimes I won’t even attempt to photograph food if it’s dark and rainy out. Every situation is different. For my house and set up, I can get the best photos during the middle of the day by a window inside my kitchen.
Keep it simple. Don’t go crazy with props. Food looks great on white plates but every once in a while I throw in a colored plate. Accentuate with colored napkins and placemats.
I like to shoot in Aperture Priority (AV). I usually shoot food between a 4.0 and 6.0 aperture. That’s what gives you that beautiful bokeh…a focused point with a blurry background.
If you have great lighting you don’t need to edit your pictures a ton after taking them. I don’t like to overdo the editing. Sometimes photos are so photoshopped they’re hard to look at. I use Lightroom to lighten up a photo on a dark day or to sharpen it a little.
6) Can I use your photo or recipe? I do not care if you use my recipe photo OR recipe but please link back to this site. Please do not use my photo AND recipe on your site. One or the other is fine.
7) What should I serve at my next get together? There are a lot of great ideas in my Visual Recipe Index. Try the Feeding A Crowd category for great party food.
8) Do you have a cookbook? Actually….YES! Read all about it here or buy it here.
9) Where have you been featured? I have been featured on BettyCrocker, Pillsbury, Hershey’s, Reese’s, BuzzFeed, Woman’s Day, Huffington Post, Shari’s Berries, LaurenConrad.com, Grilled Magazine, CafeMom, Delish.com, Redbook Magazine, Country Living, GoodHousekeeping.com, and Parenting.com.
10) Who do you advertise with? I’m with Mediavine and have certain rules I need to abide by since I am under contract with them. I am not selling ad spaces at this time.
11) Can I write a guest post for you? This blog is my baby and I like to keep the writing in my voice. I can’t say yes to one request and not to all without hurting feelings so I decided to not accept guest posts. The best way to get featured on my blog is to email me your BEST recipe. I’ll try it and if I love it, I’ll feature you and the recipe. Sound good?
12) Will you review my product or host a giveaway? Thank you for considering me for your giveaway or review but I do not participate in reviews. I do like discovering new products (doesn’t everyone) but do not write entire posts to review a product. I like to keep this blog about recipes so I usually do my own inspired giveaways and talk about whatever I want to talk about. I started a “My Favorite Things” series where I talk about the things I’ve discovered lately. Thank you! If you want to host a giveaway please contact me. The value of the giveaway must be over $250. If I feel like it’s a good fit and there’s room in my calendar, we can work out the details.
If you are publishing a cookbook, I would love to read it and share a recipe with my readers along with a giveaway.
13) Do you participate in sponsored posts? I have done sponsored posts in the past but I’m very selective and only choose to do them with brands I love and use anyway. Please contact me for a quote.
For more about me check the “Meet the Girl” page.